What do you feel is best for a .380 defensive handgun?

This is a discussion on What do you feel is best for a .380 defensive handgun? within the Defensive Ammunition & Ballistics forums, part of the Defensive Carry Discussions category; With such a small Caliber as the .380 ACP I think Penetration is still King. The FMJ meets these requirements....

I like the larger wound a JHP makes and feel that blood loss is essential to stopping an attack. I do not have the same needs as the FBI to shoot through doors and glass. I am also held liable for riccochets and over penetration. In a SD encounter I am not standing my ground for a gunfight so I do not need 12 inches of penetration. If it becomes hand to hand combat I will draw my knife.

Whenever I carry a .380 it's loaded with the "flat nosed FMJs". Reason being; the FN FMJ hit with more FPE and on average have a straighter and larger wound cavity over the standard round nose FMJ that can slip and curve in soft tissue. Not that I have done any personal testing on the subject, but when I was doing my research, that's what I gathered from several sources. I also liked the heaviest .380 round I could find and that ended up being the Buffalo Bore 100gr HC stuff... IMO, that stuff will do the job with ease.

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain."
- Roy Batty

Mine is loaded with the Hydra shocks, That little post in the middle is suposed to make them work better. Years ago when they first came out I saw a article in a gun mag where they were tested against plain HPs and they did expand better.